Aircraft Engines

The world demands air travel that is safe but far more — quiet, efficient and environmentally friendly. Much of the job of delivering these requirements falls to aircraft engine manufacturers.

Safety: While today’s aircraft have an impressive safety record, any aircraft failure has the potential to be catastrophic, especially if it is engine related.

Noise: Large airports are sited near major metropolitan centers, and airport neighbors demand decreased noise. At the same time, the number of flights is increasing. Governments have legislated increasingly stringent requirements related to allowable noise levels.

Efficiency: For many airlines, fuel is now the single largest cost. Price volatility is a major issue. A fuel-efficient aircraft reduces operating costs and increases payload.

Today’s aircraft engine development and manufacturing industry is tremendously competitive. Development costs and technical risks are high, and engine builders are challenged to bring new and improved products to market faster than ever.

Geometric model of fan stage

Courtesy Aviadvigatel.

Even though aircraft engines are already technologically advanced, high-performing and efficient, engine companies are being challenged to deliver even better products. As a result, intense research efforts are under way, at companies large and small, that examine every aspect of the engine. For current technology engine designs, the goal is to realize small but significant improvements. Looking further into the future, investigations include the use of new and advanced concepts and materials, such as open rotor propulsion, pulse-detonation combustion and ceramic matrix composite materials.

Such engineering and productivity challenges can be addressed head on with simulation tools from ANSYS, which provide the widest range of high-fidelity, productivity-enhancing multiple physics. The technologies are integrated within a common simulation platform that links to other productivity-enhancing capabilities as well as the comprehensive structural, fluid dynamics and electronics software for which ANSYS is well known.

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Blade Geometry

ANSYS BladeModeler provides tools for the detailed geometric specification of compressor, turbine and fan blades, axial, mixed-flow or radial. These tools can be used within the ANSYS Workbench environment or connected into an existing design system, enabling high-productivity design and analysis, including optimization.

Meshing

General-purpose and special tools from ANSYS enable rapid development of high-quality meshes required by turbomachinery analysts. ANSYS TurboGrid is the tool of choice for optimal high-quality hexahedral blade row meshes that are scalable, consistent, repeatable and automatically generated.

Throughflow Solver

The ANSYS throughflow solver ANSYS VISTA TF is ideal for rapid and reliable multi-blade row component design and optimization. A wide selection of models and access to the same post-processing as full ANSYS CFD technology ensures wide applicability and high-productivity usage.

Rotordynamics

Rotordynamics capability is a central element in the ANSYS structural solver. Availability of axisymmetric and full 3-D element types enables a scalable modeling approach adaptable to any situation, with the ability to include not only seal and bearing effects but casing influence as well.

Automated Turbo Pre- & Post-Processing

Turbomachinery blade row-specific pre- and post-processing simplifies the process and reduces overall simulation time. All general and turbomachinery-specific functions are available in a modern graphical user interface or via command, ideal for repeatable, automated operation.